1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relate to behavioral development systems and, more particularly, but not by way of limitation, to a game apparatus and method for teaching favorable behavior patterns in social situations.
2. Description of the Related Art
Everyone would agree that the trials of everyday living are difficult and often seem insurmountable. Whether a child has to choose homework over play or a worker chooses to blindly follow a boss"" questionable orders, each new situation in life is almost always different. At times, the consequences arising from a bad choice can be personally detrimental and possibly detrimental to others. Most people rely on wisdom gained from choices made from pas experiences to successfully guide them through each new situation.
As such, learning to examine the consequences of one""s choices before making a final decision is a learned skill that is often self-realized and is rarely taught by others. Thus, without examining the consequences beforehand, one is likely to continuously make the same detrimental mistake in life.
Ideally, it is best to learn this decision making skill or any behavioral skill at an early age so as to reap full benefits therefrom. However, it is oftentimes quite difficult to a teach a child a rather serious and abstract behavioral skill. Nonetheless, a child is highly responsive to activities associated with play.
Current games in the industry do not teach a broach range favorable behavioral skills, such as examining ones choices or the learning value of money. There are educational board games that address a narrow band of social issues, such as U.S. Pat. No. 4,440,396 to Frudakis for attaining weight loss goals, U.S. Pat. No. 1,638,094 to Gilmour for teaching good hygiene habits, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,931,469 to Stichnoth for treating deviant behavior. Educational board games involve preselected social situations often with the intent of correcting a player""s existing social problem, such as losing weight or curbing substance abuse. These board games, however, do not establish favorable behavioral patterns for application in future situations.
Because they involve preselected situations, board games are not interactive in accounting for various everyday events uniquely experienced by individual players in real world social settings. For example, board games do not account for intimate events between a parent and child, such as shopping around town for a toy that a child""s playmates have or a child consistently misbehaving with a specific baby sitter.
Physically, board games are not interactive with real world settings in that play pieces must be reset each time the game is relocated. Moreover, board games rarely provide any motivational aspects outside of the actual board game situation and, thus, do not provide tangible rewards for favorable decisionmaking, such as cash.
Accordingly, there is a long felt need for a game apparatus and method for interactively teaching favorable behavior patterns in real work social settings.
In accordance with the present invention, a game unit, includes a portfolio. The portfolio, in turn, includes a plurality of tab cards and a score unit for receiving the tab cards.
The score unit includes a plurality of play pockets disposed on the score unit for receiving the tab cards and, thus, securing the tab cards to the portfolio. In particular, the score unit includes a playing surface whereby the play pockets are disposed on the playing surface. Similarly, the score unit includes an array of tab pockets for receiving the tab cards so that the tab pockets secure the tab cards to the portfolio.
The preferred embodiment of the portfolio further includes an add-on unit in operative engagement with the score unit although other embodiments may lack the add-on unit. Like the score unit, the add-on unit includes a plurality of add-on play pockets disposed on the add-on unit for receiving the tab cards and, thus, securing the tab cards to the portfolio. Like the score unit, the add-on unit includes an add-on playing surface whereby the add-on play pockets are disposed on the add-on playing surface.
The portfolio includes a linking assembly for operatively linking the add-on unit with the score unit. Furthermore, the linking assembly may facilitate releasable engagement of the add-on unit with the score unit.
The add-on linking member thus joins playing surfaces from the add-on unit with those of the score unit and, alternatively, joins playing surfaces from the add-on unit with those of another add-on unit. Accordingly, the number of playing surfaces is dictated by the number of players so that corresponding add-on units are modularly attached to the score unit as well as other add-on units to define a portfolio for the game unit. It must be added that the preferred portfolio is so dimensioned as to be physically carried by a player from one locale to another, such as in a purse, a pocket or in hand.
Preferably, the tab cards include a set of free cards, a set of star cards, a set of chore cards, and a set of consequence cards. In play, the star cards are awarded to a player for performing favorable acts and the chore cards are awarded for performing favorable tasks. The consequence cards are awarded to a player for performing unfavorable acts. The consequence cards may be include tab subsets. The tab subsets represent a range whereby a card from a predetermined tab subset is awarded in accordance with a corresponding degree of unfavorable behavior.
The game unit further includes an allowance system in cooperative engagement with the portfolio. Inasmuch, the allowance system provides incentive for teaching favorable behavior patterns in the context of a game that is interactive with real world social settings. Additionally, for example, the allowance system enables a young player to learn favorable behavioral skills and the value of money as opposed to conventional methods of simply disbursing a weekly monetary allowance to teach the value of money.
Specifically, the allowance system includes an exchange element as a unit of exchange between what is earned by the player and a tangible reward outside of the play situation. Thus, at the end of play, a value received from calculating the awarded tab cards is used to determine a value of an exchange element to be received. The exchange element(s) is then redeemed by a player for a tangible reward, such as for example money, a valued play object, or a pleasurable activity.
The exchange element preferably comprises a set of play money bills or, commonly, xe2x80x9cbig bucksxe2x80x9d as compensation for what is earned by a player. The exchange element may also comprise a set of play money vouchers or, commonly, xe2x80x9creal bucksxe2x80x9d, which are ideal for players that tend to loose money or big bucks.
Illustratively, a free card for positive credit may be awarded at the start of a game. A chore card for positive credit may be awarded for favorable behavior, such as when a player mows a lawn. A star card for positive credit can be awarded for favorable behavior, such as when a player holds a door for someone at a grocery store. Conversely, a consequence card for negative credit may be awarded for unfavorable behavior, such as when a player throws mud at passing cars. Thus, when calculating a value for awarding an exchange element, each negative credit from the consequence cards nullifies each positive credit earned from the chore, star, and free cards.
At the end of the predetermined period, the game unit is disengaged from the routine of the player. The player""s tab cards are tabulated so that a value for awarding an exchange element is determined. Thus, an exchange element is awarded based on the determined value. Preferably, the exchanged element is exchanged for a tangible reward when the player expresses an interest in redeeming the exchange element. It should also be said that exchange elements may be collected over a series of games and then redeemed for a tangible reward of comparably greater value than if redeemed for one game.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a game unit and a method for playing the game unit so that favorable behavioral patterns are taught through interacting with real world social settings.
Still other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become evident to those skilled in the art in light of the following.